Ruth Semilore
Nigerian wigmaker, Helen Williams has set a new record for the world’s longest handmade wig by an individual.
The wig, which, according to the official X handle of the Guinness World Record, measures 351.28 metres, approximately 1,152 feet and 5 inches, was achieved by Helen within 11 days for over two million naira (£2,031; $2,493).
Recall another Nigerian chef, Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci, who, in May 2023, broke the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.
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“After constructing the underlay with wig-cap netting and black fabric attached to a bicycle helmet, she completed the hairpiece using 1,000 bundles of hair, 12 cans of hair spray, 35 tubes of hair glue, and 6,250 hair clips,” GWR wrote on its official X handle.
Reacting to the feat, Helen, who has been working as a professional wigmaker for eight years, said,
“Finding the materials to make the longest wig was not an easy task. My experience as a wigmaker helped a lot.
“I have trained hundreds of students and have made thousands of wigs. At some point, I felt exhausted.
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However, friends and family encouraged me. I did not want to let them down, so I maintained my focus. The outcome is the longest handmade wig in the world.”
For Helen, the biggest challenge was finding a space to have the wig laid out in a straight line and accurately measured, as none of the venues she visited, including several running tracks, were long enough to accommodate it.
And she eventually decided to do it beside the Lagos-Abeokuta Motorway, a long road connecting the cities of Lagos and Abeokuta.
“It will take a while for me to digest. This achievement is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I still cannot believe it.
My advice to everyone out there is that dreams are attainable. However, the journey is a very rough one,” she said.
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In November 2022, an Australian, Dani Reynolds, held the record for the world’s widest wig, measuring 2.58 metres (8 ft 6 in) wide.
Watch https://x.com/GWR/status/1724455232153768161?s=20
Similarly, an Italian, Emilio Minnicelli, created the world’s tallest wig. The wig was modelled in the main square of the Bologna Piazza Maggiore on May 15, 2004, where it was measured to be 14.3 metres (46 ft 11 in) tall, while Serbian Nikola Kulezic also created a record for the world’s longest hair extension, which was measured at 820.29 metres (2691 ft 3 in) on June 26, 2013.
